Walking the talk – Sarah Fox

August 09 2016

As part of our series where we find out more about how some of the team at ecostore are living sustainably we caught up with Sarah, who looks after our wholesale customer service, to talk about the importance of giving back to the community, and how making small changes to go green can have a big impact.

1. Tell us about yourself.

I live in an apartment in central Auckland, and I walk to work each day. When it’s raining I take the bus.

At ecostore I look after any shops that aren’t supermarkets, such as the health food stores that stock our products. I facilitate their orders and help out with any queries they may have.

I also look after our export orders, along with any documentation needed to send our products into a new area, which has been an exciting project. The highlight of my role is the customer service side of things. Interacting with our customers and getting feedback helps us to continually improve our products and it is great working with such a large variety of people.

In summer I love the beach, and this year I’ve been learning to surf. I try to make the most of time outside on the weekends and in winter I enjoy snowboarding when I can.

2. What changes have you made to live more sustainably?

I have a little garden at home. Because we live in an apartment we don’t have a lot of space, so it’s filled with small things that grow well in pots, like salad vegetables and herbs. I also love farmers’ markets and shop locally where I can.

I try not to use my car too much, and living centrally makes that easy because I can walk and bus most places.

I use ecostore products at home, and I’m mindful of what’s in the products I use. I also recycle as much as I can, and have tried to minimise my packaging waste by growing some of my own food and taking a reusable water bottle with me instead of buying disposable ones.

I’ve gotten involved in some charity work within my local community. I love old buildings so have helped to try and preserve some of these around the city. I think keeping a bit of history alive is really important. I also try to give back to the community by donating blood each year.

3. What have been the main benefits for you and the planet since making these changes?

Since growing my own herbs I’ve been able to make flavoursome meals more naturally without adding all sorts of pre-made powders and sauces that aren’t as good for my health. Herbs are expensive to buy from the supermarket, so growing my own has also been saving me money.

I’ve stopped buying bottled water, which has reduced my waste. I now carry a re-usable one with me and I also use re-usable shopping bags, which means I’m sending less to the landfill.

I make sure to turn lights off at home, and switch appliances off at the wall instead of leaving them on standby. Both are really simple ways to save power, which is good for me and the planet.

4. Which is your favourite ecostore product and why?

I really like our multi-purpose and bathroom cleaners, because they work well. I also love the laundry liquid, because it really looks after delicate clothing.

5. What tip would you offer to those looking to make more environmentally responsible choices?

Doing lots of little things such as switching off lights and appliances or having a shorter shower do add up. If everybody did those little things I think it would make a big difference. People forget about their power as an individual, and if we all do our part we can have a huge impact.